ALAMEDA, Calif.—Utilizing their dominant pitching and clean defense, the Point Loma Sea Lions (22-2 overall, 8-2 PacWest) swept the opening doubleheader from the Holy Names Hawks (12-18 overall, 5-12 PacWest) Friday evening at the College of Alameda.

The Sea Lions took game one 2-1 behind a stellar start from the reigning PacWest and West-Region Pitcher of the Week, Baxter Halligan who grounded the Hawks' offense. Point Loma's offense staked game 2 starter, Dylan Miller, to an early lead en route to an 8-3 victory.

While Point Loma's series-opening starters set the tone with 13 innings of solid work, the offense heated up as the night progressed led by freshmen Jakob Christian, who went 5-9 with a pair of RBI, and J.J. Gerarden's first collegiate homer.

In Game 1, Halligan displayed his strikeout artistry as he breezed through the Holy Names lineup on the first trip through the order.

After neither team threatened in the first four innings, Jakob Christian opened the fifth inning by stinging a triple into left field. Two batters later, Gerarden's safety squeeze brought in the first run of the game, and an errant throw to first put Gerarden on first base.

Izayah Alvarez singled to move the runner to third, before Otto Kemp singled home Gerarden, giving Point Loma a 2-0 lead.

Halligan tossed four no-hit innings before Holy Names managed its first hit, a two-out knock in the fifth inning. Halligan issued his second walk of the game before inducing a comebacker to escape any threat.

The Hawks scratched across a run in the bottom of the sixth, capitalizing with a runner on and two-outs. Back-to-back hits plated the lone run of the game for Holy Names and cut PLNU's lead to 2-1.

Once again, the Point Loma bullpen dominated as Zach Veen bridged the gap with two scoreless innings and Cole Hillier locked down the ninth inning with his 7^th save of the season.

Game two was a much different tone from the beginning as Kemp started the game by banging a double to left field. After an error by the HNU infield, Baxter Halligan reached on a fielder's choice that brought in the first run of the game.

Scott Anderson, who reached on the error, came around on Christian's RBI knock which extended the lead to 2-0. Halligan came around on the Hawk's 2^nd error of the inning, improving Point Loma's lead to 3-0 before they hit the field defensively.

Holy Names answered right back, with a solo homer to right field, to pull the game to 3-1.

Point Loma's offense continued to assert aggression in the 2^nd inning, as Gerarden cranked a homer over the center-field wall to reset the lead to three runs at 4-1. The inning continued as Izayah Alvarez and Otto Kemp each delivered hits, with Kemp's double putting runners on second and third.

Anderson's sacrifice fly increased Point Loma's lead to 5-1 after two PLNU at-bats.

Holy Names chipped away at Point Loma's four-run lead with single runs in the third and fifth, making the game 5-3 heading into the sixth.

Point Loma added a run back in the top of the sixth as Christian's one-out single was cashed in by Jack Malone's double down the right-field line, pushing the Sea Lion's lead to 6-3.

Sea Lion's starter Dylan Miller exited after the 7^th inning, while in line for the win, after holding Holy Names to 3 runs and striking out six.

Holy Names threatened in the 8^th, loading the bases against reliever Hunter Otjen. But Otjen came up with a key strikeout to end the threat and preserve PLNU's 6-3 lead.

The Sea Lions added to the lead in the ninth by capitalizing on more mistakes by the HNU defense. Kemp forced a close play at first on a groundball to start the inning, an errant throw but the leadoff man on 2^nd with no outs. After Anderson walked and a sacrifice bunt by Seth Ryberg moved the runners to 2^nd and 3^rd, Easton Waterman was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Christian delivered again, singling home Kemp before Otjen's sacrifice fly lengthened the Point Loma lead to 8-3.

Otjen closed it out on the mound in the ninth to secure the win.

Point Loma continued to rely on solid defense, while capitalizing on its opponent's mistakes, to back solid efforts on the mound.

The Sea Lions wrap up the four-game series on Saturday with the Hawks. The 9-inning game one is set to start at Noon, the series concludes with a 7-inning game at 3:00 pm at the College of Alameda Baseball Field.